Inking mechanism for printing machines



July 6, 1948. I F, LAMATSCH 2,444,656

INKING MECHAIAISM FOR P RINTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1945 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6, 1948. .4 F. LAMA-rscH 2,444,656

l INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES File'd Aug. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented July 6, 1948 STATES INKING MECHANISM FR PREN'EING' MACHINES Application August 24, i945, Serial No. 612,328

(Cl. lOl-3500 14 Claims. l

This invention relates to rotary printing machines and more particularly to an ink pump driving mechanism for such machines.

In web printing machines having a plurality of webv printing couples, each consisting of a plate or form cylinder and an impression cylinder, a series of inking cylinders, and an ink pump for supplying ink, through the instrumentality of the inking cylinders, to each of the printing couples, it is occasionally necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of some of the printing couples when it is desired to print the web in more than one color. In such an instance, due to the construction of the type of ink pump usually employed, the direction of drive for the ink pump supplying ink to the reversed printing ycouple must be maintained in the same direction as before the direction of drive of the printing couple was reversed.

In view of this requirement an object of this invention is to provide means to maintain the direction of rotation of a driven rst member constant regardless of the direction of rotation of a second member from which the first member is driven.

Another object is to provide in a printing machine, driving printing means, ink pump mechanism driven by the printing means drive, and means to maintain the same direction of drive of the said ink pumpfmechanism when the drive of the printing means is reversed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in combination with a printing machine having a plurality of printing couples, an ink pump for each printing couple and driven from the respective printing couple, a mechanism disposed between and in connection with the ink pump drive and the printing couple drive, to drivingly connect them, and adapted to be actuated to maintain the initial direction of drive of the ink pump when the direction of drive `of the printing couple is reversed.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a. rotary printing machine an ink pump driving mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the same will bev simple, durable, and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,.practical, serviceable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects. in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combinations and arrangements of parts, and in the details oi construction hereinafter described andclaimed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is 2 illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic broken end view of a portion of a rotary web printing machine showing a printing couple,y inking cylinders. and'. an ink pump driving mechanism havngthe features and, principles oi this invention embodied therein;

Figure 2' is an enlarged plan View, partly in section, of' the ink. pump andthe driving'mechanism ofthe invention, as seen on the line` 2'-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged. side view,. partly" in section, as viewed on liney 11i-3A of Figure 2;A and showing the ink. pump driving mechanism, the parts being shown in one operating position;

Figurey 4 is` an en'largedsectional View taken on line 4--4' ofFigure 3;,

Figure. 5 is .apartial View' similar toFlgure. 3 with a part ofthe' pumpA driving mechanism inta position to maintain the same directiontof the drive for the .ink pump, when the direction' of drive ofthe printing couplevis reversed from that shown in Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals, designate like parts throughout the several views,` the reference numeral, II (Figure l), denotes a gear housing attached to' a side frame of a printing unit of a printing machinehaving a plate or form cylinder I2Vr` andan impression cylinder I 3, between which a web W is fed, and. also ink distributing cylinders I4", and ink distributing rollers I5- Ink is suppliedr tothe lowermost' ink distributing cylinder I4 in a well known manner by means of anink'rail' I ii attached to and suppliedl with ink froman inkpump Il, which may be of the type, shown in' Smith Patent 1,348,900, granted August 10, 1920. The ink pump Il is provided with an operatingl shaft I8 through which' operating mechanism (not shown) is driven, to force ink through. the ink rail lli onto the lowermost ink cylinder. M The plate, or form cylinder I2, is driven by the printing machine drive (not shown) in the usual manner, which. drive, as. is well known, may' be reversed'to reversel the direction. of rotation o1 "the cylinders l2 andv l 3' when desired.

The pump. driving mechanismy as herein' shown, comprises a sprocket wheel i9 secured upon a shaft. 2l of' the plate cylinder I2 and; througha chain22, drives a sprocket 23 (Figure 8) secured upon one end of a jack shaft 2'llsupported in a bracket 2.5', secured to the gear housing` I'I'. A spur gear 28 is securedv upon thefother end of` the jack shaft 2"'4 and meshes with a. spur gear 21,

secured to one end of a shaft 28 supported in a bracket Z9 secured upon a casing 3| of the pump The end of the shaft 28, opposite the end upon which the spur gear 21 is secured, is provided with a keyway 32 in which a coupling key 33, secured to a coupling sleeve member 34 by a screw 35. is adapted to slide. A circumferential groove 36 (Figure 4) is formed in the shaft 28 adjacent its end to receive a spring pressed ball 31 carried by the sleeve 34 to releasably retain the sleeve in a desired position on the shaft 28, where it will engage the key 33, either in a key slot 33 or in a key slot 39, formed in the opposite ends of a shaft 4I, which is mounted in a housing 42 and supported thereby in axial alignment with the shaft 28.

The housing 42 is pivotally mounted to swing about the axis of the pump operating shaft I8 by a cylindrical lug 43, formed on the housing 42 and rotatably supported within a sleeve 44 formed on the pump casing 3| for such purpose. When the end of the shaft 4| that carriesthe slot 38 is disposed adjacent to the outer end of the shaft 28 (Fig. 4) the housing 42 is locked in position by a screw 45 screw-threaded through the sleeve 44 and entering a locating hole 46 provided in the lug 43. If the housing 42 is rotated into the position shown in Figure 5, the screw 45 then enters a locating hole 41 when screwed into the sleeve 44. In both instances the housing is secured in position to axially align the shaft 4| with the shaft 28.

The pump operating shaft I8 is arranged to enter the housing 42 through the cylindrical lug 43 and, rwithin the housing, has a bevel gear 48 secured thereto. The bevel ,gear 48 is arranged to mesh with a bevel gear 49`s`ecured to the shaft 4| rotatably supported in the housing 42. When the housing 42 is swung 180 degrees about the axis of the shaft I 8 tothe position shown in Figure'5, thebevel gear 49 will be .disposed on the opposite side of the bevel gear 48 from its position, as shown in Figures 3 and`4. A reverse clirection of rotation may then be imposed upon the shaft 4I, by reversing the rotation of the printing cylinders I2 and I3, but the direction of rotationiof the pump operating shaft I8 will not be changed.

By providing the drive arrangement shown, (Figure 3), the sprocket I9, the chain 22, the Vsprocket 23, and the spur gears 26 and 21 may be disposed within the Agear housing II in which all of the gears for drivingly connecting the cylinders I2 and I3, the cylinders I4, and the rollers I are contained. To cover the spur gears 26 and 21 the housing |I is provided with a cover 5I and the bracket 29 extends through a supplemental cover 52 attached to the cover 5|. A flange 53, provided on the bracket 29, and a groove 54 formed in the cover 52 forms an oil baille and prevents leakage of oil from the housing Il.

The pump casing 3| is mounted in a well known manner on the ink rail I6, `which is arranged to be moved horizontally toward or away from the inkv cylinder I4, by means that may be the same as shown in Morris Patent 1,791,508. When the rail is thus moved, the bracket 29, the shaft 28 and the gear 21 move horizontally with it and in respect tothe gear 26. The groove 54 and the adjacent hole through the cover 52, are elongated horizontally (Figure 2) to permit the required horizontal movement of the gear 21 with the bracket 29.

Assume that the printing machine (Figure 1) is to be operated -with the cylinder I2 rotating clockwise. Operation of the ink pump I1 will be required, and its shaft I8 must rotate clockwise, as seen in Figure 3. The operator will slide the coupling sleeve 34 toward the housing 42 to connect the shafts 28 and 4I by means of the key 33 (Figure 3). The key 33 will now lie partly in the keyway 32 of the shaft 28 and partly in the keyway 38 of the shaft 4I. The ball 31 then locks the sleeve 34 in its driving position. The pump I1 Will now be properly driven by the printing machine drive through the instrumentality of the cylinder shaft 2|, the sprocket I9, the chain 22, the sprocket 23 the spur gears 26 and 21, the shaft 28, the key 33, the shaft 4|, the bevel gears 49 and 48, and the pump operating shaft I8.

Now should it be required to feed the web W between the printing cylinders I2V and I3 in a reverse direction and rotate the cylinder I2 countcrclockwise without reversing the direction of rotation of the pump operating shaft I8, the coupling sleeve 34 is Adrawn away from the housing 42 to remove the key 33 from the slot 38 in the shaft 4I, the screw 45 is removed from the hole 46 in the lug 43, and the housing 42 is rotated in the sleeve 44 one hundred and eighty degrees, to the position shown in Figure 5. The screw 45 is now entered into the hole 41 in the lug 43 to lock the shaft 4I in axial alignment with the shaft 28. The coupling sleeve is now slid toward the housing 42to enter the key 33 into the slot 39 inthe shaft 4I. The reversed direction of rotation of the shaft 28 occasioned by reversing the direction of rotation of the Cylinders I2 and I3 will be counteracted and the pump operating shaft I8 Will be driven clockwise and in the same direction as in the first instance. The use of the spur gears 26 and 21 positioned as shown permits bodily adjustment of the pump I1 and rail I6 horizontally to move the rail away from and return it to the ink distributing cylinder I4, when required for occasional cleaning.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Obviously, the parts illustrated in Figure 4 may be rearranged so that the gear 48, instead of being secured to the shaft I8, would be secured to the shaft 28, and the housing 42 `in place of being rotatable about the shaft I8 Would be rotatable about the shaft 28. Then the coupling member 34 would be slidable on the shaft I8 instead of on the shaft 28. This arrangement would produce the same results, as the villustrated embodiment. Another variation in the design illustrated would be to provide two coupling members 34, one on each end of the shaft 4I. Then by rotating the housing 42 and the shaft 4I, either of the coupling members could be moved into operative engagement with the shaft 28. Other variations will occur to anyone versed in the art, and therefore it is desired that the illustrated embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

What I claim is:

1 In a printing machine a device for drivingly connecting a first shaft adapted to have its direction of rotation reversed, lto a second shaft required to be driven only in one direction of rotation, the said device comprising a third shaft, a support mounted to be rotated about the axis of the second shaft and carrying the third shaft to selectively present either end of the third shaft 51 in connectible position with an end of the first shaft, a gear on the second shaft in meshv with a gear on the third'shaft, and means to connect the end of the first shaft with the selected end of the third shaft presented thereto.

2. In a printing machine having an ink distributing member, an ink pump, means to direct inl: from said pump to the inl; distributing member, a first shaft driven by the printing machine and adapted to have its direction of rotation reversed, a second shaft for operating the ink pump and required to be rotated only in one direction, and a reversible drive unit for drivingly connecting said first and second shafts to drive the second shaft in its required direction of rotation from the first shaft driven' in either direction of rotation; a drive unit reversing means comprising an intermediate third' shaft mounted to be swung about the axis of the second shaft to selectively present either of its ends adjacent to an end of the first shaft, means to drivingly connect the selected end of the third shaft to the adjacent end of the rst shaft, and means drivingly connecting said second shaft to said third shaft.

3. In a rotary printing machine having a driven form cylinder, means to supply ink to said form cylinder including an ink pump having an operating shaft and mechanism including a reversible drive unit to drive the pump shaft from a shaft driven from the printing machine in the same direction of rotation regardless of the direction of rotation of the form cylinder; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an intermediate shaft member operable to drivingly connect the said shafts, the said intermediate shaft member being operably connected by bevel gears to one of the said shafts and supported with its axis perpendicular thereto and in alignment with the other shaft, a coupling member on the said other shaft adapted to engage an end of the said intermediate shaft member, and means to reverse the position of the intermediate shaft member whereby either end thereof may be so engaged.

4. In a printing machine that may be driven selectably in either of two directions and has an ink pump required to be driven in only one direction, and a coupling mechanism selectably positionable in one position when the printing machine is driven in one direction and in a secon-d position when the printing machine is driven in a reverse direction; a coupling mechanism comprising three shafts, two of which are positioned perpendicular to one another, and the third of which is positioned in axial alignment with one of the said two shafts, mounted for swinging movement about the axis of the other of the two said shafts and drivingly connected thereto, whereby the third shaft may be swung to bring either of its ends adjacent an end of the aligned shaft for coupling thereto to form a reversible drive connection between the rst two said shafts.

5. In a printing machine having driven rotatable members adapted to have their direction of rotation reversed, an auxiliary device to be driven from a said driven rotatable member in one direction only and a reversible drive unit for so driving the auxiliary device; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and means for reversibly connecting said shafts, said means comprising a support mounted to pivctally swing about the axis of the driven shaft, a first bevel gear on said driven shaft, an intermediate shaft carried by the support to swing therewith and have-its endslsele'ctively'disposed adjacent an end of the drivingl shaft, a

second bevel gear on the intermediate; shaft in mesh with the first gear, andl means to drivingly connect a selected end of' the intermediate; shaft to the driving shaft when the selected intermediate shaft end is so disposed adjacent the said. driving shaft end.

6. In a rotary printing'machine having a driven formv cylinder, means to supply ink'to said form cylinder including an ink pump havingy an, operating shaft and mechanismincluding a reversible drive unit to drive. the pump shaft, from. ay shaft driven from the printing machine, in the same direction of rotation regardless' of the direction of rotation of the form cylinder; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an intermediate shaft drivingly' connected to the driven shaft and being disposable in position tol have eitherl of its ends connected to the driving shaft, and means-toconnect either end of the intermediate shaft to thek driving shaft.

'7. Mechanism according to claim 6:, in whichv the said intermediate shaft is' carried by a support rotatable for so disposing it in position for so connecting either of its ends to the driving shaft.

8. Mechanism according to claim 7, in which the said support is rotatable about the axis of the driven shaft for so-disposing the intermediate shaft in axial alignment with the driving shaft.

9. In a rotary printing machine having a driven form cylinder, means to supply ink tol said form cylinder including an ink pump having an operating shaft andmechanism including a reversible drive unit to drive the pump shaft, from a. shaft driven from the printing machine, in the same direction o-f rotation regardless of the direction of rotation of the form cylinder; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an intermediate shaft drivingly connected to the driven shaft, a support for the intermediate shaft rotatable to present a selected end of the shaft in position to be connected to the driving shaft, means to connect the driving shaft to the end of the intermediate shaft presented thereto, and means to releasably lock the intermediate shaft support in shaft connecting position.

10. In a rotary printing machine having a driven form cylinder, means to supply ink to said form cylinder including an ink pump having an operating shaft and mechanism including a reversible drive unit to drive the pump shaft, from a shaft driven from the printing machine, in the same direction of rotation regardless of the direction of rotation of the form cylinder; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an intermediate shaft drivingly connected to the driven shaft, a support for the intermediate shaft rotatable to present a selected end of the shaft in position in alignment with the driving shaft, each end of the intermediate shaft being provided with coupling means, and a coupling member drivingly connected to the driving shaft and operable to engage the coupling means on the intermediate shaft ends to drivingly connect said shafts.

ll. Mechanism according to claim 10, comprising also means for aligning the intermediate shaft and the driving shaft and for releasably locking the intermediate shaft support in shaft aligning position.

12. Mechanism according to claim 10, in which the-coupling member connected to the driving shaft is slidable thereon and comprising also means for locking said coupling member against sliding movement thereon.

13. In a printing machinehaving an inking cylinder, an ink distributing member moveable toward and away from the inking cylinder, an ink pump moveable With the ink distributing member and a drive unit for reversibiy connecting the ink pump to the machine drive for driving the same in the same direction when the printing machine is running in either direction; drive unit mechanism comprising a drive gear, a driven gear meshing therewith and supported for movement tangentially thereof, a drive shaft secured to the said driven gear and driven thereby, a moveable support for said drive shaft, a driven shaft rotatably carried `by the said support, a bevel gear secured to the end of the driven shaft, a housing rotatably mounted on said support, a third shaft rotatably carried by the housing and having coupling engaging means on both ends, a bevel gear in mesh with the rst bevel gear and secured to a mid portion of the third shaft, the two coupling engaging means of the third shaft being alternatively positionable for engagement with the coupling carried by the said drive shaft.

14. In a rotary printing machine having a driven form cylinder, means to supply ink to said form cylinder including an ink pump having an operating shaft and mechanism including a reversible drive unit to drive the pump shaft, from. a shaft driven from the printing machine, in the. same direction of rotation regardless of the direc-V tion of rotation of the form cylinder; a drive unit reversing means comprising a driving shaft bearing a coupling member, a driven shaft having a bevel gear, a gear housing rotatable about the axis of the driven shaft and rotatably supporting an intermediate shaft with extremities arranged to be connected to the coupling member and having a second bevel gear secured in position to mesh with the first bevel gear, the driving and driven shaft being so disposed that the gear housing may be turned to engage either end of the intermediate shaft with the coupling member and thereby permit reversal of rotation of the driving shaft Without changing the direction of rotation of the driven shaft.

FREDERICK LAMATSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

